The 3rd Birthday

Heroine of The 3rd Birthday, Aya Brea – last seen in 2000’s Parasite Eve II [パラサイト・イヴ2] – has been the main focus of the project since the game’s announcement in 2008. For this portable sequel, her salacious walk animation and color of undergarments were carefully decided within the development team at Square Enix, said art director Isaumu Kamikokuryo in an interview with Famitsu.com last year. If only the rest of the game was given the same attention to detail.

The original Parasite Eve [パラサイト・イヴ], released in 1998 by Squaresoft (before the 2003 Enix merger), sandwiched the horror and adventure elements of Resident Evil [バイオハザード] with the strategic depth of Squaresoft’s Final Fantasy [ファイナルファンタジー] series. The game didn’t reach the popularity of either franchise, but, nonetheless, gained a cult following who clamored for the long-awaited release of The 3rd Birthday.

While it’s unclear if the name change is due to copyright issues (Parasite Eve was originally a novel), it is very clear that The 3rd Birthday was developed without any respect to its previous entries or fan base. Connections to previous titles are strictly story-related and superficial at best.

The Vagrant Story [ベイグラントストーリー]-esque combat of previous titles is replaced by grander, fast-paced encounters that feel much different. The game lets you lock-on to opponents so aiming is never an issue. The challenge, instead, comes from dodging and applying the “Overdrive” mechanic, which lets Aya jump into any soldier’s body on the combat field. She can also direct her allies’ fire, jump into an enemy’s body for extra damage and enter “Liberation” mode which increases her firepower along with other benefits.

When the camera and ally A.I. doesn’t get in the way of things, the combat can be a unique, enjoyable experience that plays to Japan’s obsession of lengthy boss encounters (a la Monster Hunter [モンスターハンター]) without alienating Western players interested in playing a cover-based shooter.

Like so much of The 3rd Birthday, including the game’s impenetrable DNA board system that lets players improve abilities, its story is convoluted nonsense, even to a series fan. Past entries, while more ambitious than the average horror title, maintained a sense of elegance to their plotlines and kept Aya Brea as strong female lead. Here, she has been reduced to shower scenes and angst-ridden monologues. Her clothes tearing off in combat is silly but even more so when the game transitions into a scene of her discussing strategic engagement with outfitted military officers. It’s hard to buy that Aya is supposed to be 40 years old, but that’s really the least of the game’s problems.

If you can overlook the story and convoluted design, you’ll find a fun, short game with a bit more strategic depth than the average third-person shooter. The problem is that you won’t be looking for that, if you are a Parasite Eve fan, and Aya’s revamped booty and black panties can only transfix for so long. Perhaps, Square Enix expected as much – why else include unlockable nurse and naughty santa outfits?